Ladysmith artist paints the president and gets to meet him as well
“I was nervous and worried whether the president would like it or not, but he loved it”
Local artist Edna Sewpersadh has made Ladysmith proud with the stunning painting of President Cyril Ramaphosa she created with her own talented fingers.
Edna appeared in the Ladysmith Gazette a few years back for her outstanding art, having participated in many competitions throughout the years.
She was invited by the Department of Arts & Culture to attend the Day of Reconciliation celebrations in Bergville on December 16 last year and was informed that the president would be leading the event. With that in mind, she wanted to do something different with her art and decided to paint our country’s president.
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She worked tirelessly for days to achieve perfection! Edna took the painting along to the celebrations, along with other pieces of art, and exhibited it at the Bergville Sports Complex. At the complex, she was greeted by the media and officials. She even had a few minutes of fame on the SABC 2 Morning Live slot!
What was a great honour to her was when presidential security and staff came and took her painting to a private area. She recalls that a few minutes before the president entered with his crew and the media, she was escorted to the private area where the portrait was kept. Then she got to meet the president face to face, for the first time.
With a huge smile on her face, she told the Ladysmith Gazette that they spoke about her work, laughed together, hugged and took pictures. “It wasn’t easy for me to paint this painting, as I was nervous and worried whether the president would like it or not, but he loved it!” enthused Edna.
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